N°10 Through mountains and valleys

Description

Pictogramme Randonée
A hike offering a journey between the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg, through the hilly landscapes of the rivers Broye and Glâne. Enjoy the freshness of the Broye valley, the forests of the plain and the majestic panoramas of the Pre-Alps and the Alps.

From Moudon station, you take a lovely trail south of the town along the water. You have to cross the Broye twice before reaching Bressonnaz and its stone bridge (see pic). Moving on, you will get to the castle of Seppey built in the 16th century, then through the small village of Vulliens, burial place of the painter Eugène Burnand. On leaving the village, an organic farm with a direct sales area will be the last building before plunging into a forest. Emerging from that forest you’ll already have reached Fribourg soil, in Ecublens. 


From there, a beautiful view of the Alps and the Glâne, with the magnificent historic village of Rue on the left and Promasens a little further on. At Promasens, you cross the stream Le Parimbot and the river La Broye, before continuing on your way towards Chapelle and the highest point of your walk, at 730 m. 


You then continue to Oron, more precisely in front of its imposing castle – a visit is a must! – and then you will be on the home straight of your walk. Your goal for this hike is the station of Oron-le-Châtel, from where you can take the train to Moudon.

Point of interest

 

1.  Eglise Saint-Etienne

Noted for its splendid Gothic architecture and painted adornment, the church has 16th-century choir stalls and the oldest organ in the canton (1764). The church is a stopover point of the Via Jacobi 4 leading pilgrims to Saint James of Compostela.

2.  Pont de Bressonaz

As soon as in the early 16th century, three stone bridges crossed the Broye, the Bressonne and the Carrouge, an obligatory passage for travellers going to Moudon. Only the Bressonnaz bridge has retained its original form, the other two having since been replaced by modern structures. At the time, a toll was charged for each crossing in order to finance the maintenance of the bridges.

3.  Chapelle de Vulliens

The chapel of Vulliens is one of the most modest but at the same time most traditional temples in the Jorat area. It was listed among the parish churches of the diocese of Lausanne in 1228. Its main characteristic is that it has a carpenter’s bell tower dating from 1779. The cemetery designed all around the temple is one of the few surviving examples in the canton Vaud. The graves of the painter Eugène Burnand and his wife Julia Girardet face the entrance to the chapel.

4.  Château d'Oron

The first buildings are going back to the end of the 12th century. The property was used as a residence for the Bernese bailiffs until 1798 and was then transformed into a prison. Bought back in 1870, it changed hands several times until it was classified and converted into a library. Today, this fortress houses an 18th century flat renowned for its library of 18,000 volumes. Discover the life of the aristocrats of the Ancien Régime. Open from April to September.

  • Distance : 15,5km
  • Length : 4h45
  • Start : Moudon
  • End : Oron-le-Châtel
  • Difficulty :
  • Height difference : 450m
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